


Newly Acquired Friend?

by The_Marauders_Oath



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Gunshot Wounds, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-25 00:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13822320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Marauders_Oath/pseuds/The_Marauders_Oath
Summary: Something compelled the seventeen year old to move in that minute. She didn't regret her choice. Not for a single moment.





	Newly Acquired Friend?

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is welcomed, & greatly appreciated! :)

It was during a typical high school party that Eden decided she needed to take a breather. Away from other fellow students, who now stumbled drunkenly & slurred their words; others passed out. The only functional ones left being the school stoners. She'd grown bored in a matter of mintues. So she left.

Eden knew this part of Gotham well enough. It was the finer side of town. She felt comfortable with walking through the neighborhood to find a convenience store. If she recalled correctly, the nearest one was a five minute walk to Eighth St. & Nipton Ave. She glanced at her phone. It was just twenty mintues shy of being twelve in the morning.

"Mmmm, thought it was later than that," she muttered to herself, coughing slightly to alleviate the slightest rasp.

She continued on, brown eyes darting all around her surroundings. Eden hardly came to the nicer part of Gotham, so she would look over houses & anything else of mild interest to her. It kept her busy without her staring down at her phone.

Soon, the convenience store was in view. Subconsciously, she increased her gait, using her full stride to near the store quicker. The slight breeze from her faster pace causing a small gust of wind to nip at her nose. A smile stretched across Eden's features as she passed an alley of a small hotel.

"This is the last time. I'm not scared of you, you crazy clown!"

Eden stopped, gaze no longer focused on the corner store; but now on the alley's inhabitants. Two males. The one who hadn't spoken had his back turned to the other & began walking away. Right towards her, however, he seemed to not take any notice to her. She supposed that was a good thing.

"Hey! I'm talking to you Joker!" The opposing male shouted, revealing a gun from behind him. With that, the male walking towards her stopped abruptly, turning to look at the other. Eden blinked, looking back & forth between the two.

"And?" Was all the Joker said. His words heavy with a mocking tone, but there was also an undeniable edge to it as well.

Eden edged closer; unable to just walk away. She wanted to see how this would play out. Would he actually shoot & kill the most notorious villain in Gotham? Or was the clown toying with him, making him think he'd get his way? Eden had to know. She remained to the far right of the alley, attempting to stay clear of the gun's line of fire.

She watched silently, eyes trained on the gunman. The streetlights offered little light in the alley, but she could see the man's crazed eyes clear as day. He seemed to subconsciously become aware of the gravity of the situation. He was pointing a gun at someone. And not just anyone. It was  _The Joker_ of all people.

His hand, once steady, began to slightly wobble. The hard glint in his eyes began to fade the longer he held eye contact with the Joker. His breathing picked up. Chest rising & falling quicker than it had a moment ago.  _He knew._ But he didn't wish to accept his fate; his finger rested on the trigger.

In that moment, Eden wasn't exactly sure what had made her move from her spot. But she had. Her reflexes kicked in & she so stupidly, jumped in front of the green haired male. Up close, a gun going off sounded much different than from far away. And getting shot was a bit different than what Eden had expected.

At first, she hadn't felt it. Well, the pain at least, she felt something penetrate her right shoulder; but that was it. Eden opened her eyes. The gun was on the floor & the gunman was nowhere in sight. Where'd he go? The teen blinked, feeling her heart racing.

_"Who are you?"_ Eden nearly forgot about the very man she took a bullet for. His voice sounded from behind her, curious & slightly irritated.

"Uh, I'm Eden..." she trailed off, feeling her heart rate slow. Eden softly gasped, the pain crept up from her shoulder to her spine. It burned. _Alot._ She gripped her arm, squeezing it in hopes of easing the pain with a distraction. It wasn't working.

"... Eden..." The Joker murmured more to himself than her.

She blinked, her mind began to swim as the pain began to worsen. Her adrenaline dissipating each passing second. Eden moved to lean against the alley wall, & slowly slid down it to sit on the cold concrete. The teen rested her head on the wall, eyes trained on the madman before her. He hadn't said much.

"Mmmmmm..." he hummed, eyes glancing her over as he reached into his coat pocket.

Eden thought maybe this was it, if she wasn't in such pain, she might have begged for her life. She shifted against the wall, wincing when her injured shoulder knocked into it. Turns out she was wrong. Moments later he revealed a phone. She continued to watch him closely.

The Joker took a few steps back, turning his back to her as he brought the phone to his ear. He spoke quietly into the receiver. She couldn't decipher what he was saying, but he sounded a bit annoyed & mostly angry. He snapped it shut moments later. Eden waited quietly for him to address her.

"You, are you bleeding to death?" He questioned, eyes flickering to her wounded shoulder.

Eden swallowed the thick lump in her throat, & followed his gaze. While it still caused her great pain, she wasn't in immediate danger. _Necessarily._ She knew the wound wouldn't kill her right away. It wasn't pouring blood. It seemed to have narrowly missed a major artery.

"No- no, I'm not." She replied, shifting a bit, & reapplying pressure to the bullet wound. "But, I probably still don't have long. I still lost quite a bit of blood." Eden added, surprised by her slight rambling. It had to be because of the blood loss.

He nodded, eyes clicking around their surroundings. He was vigilant; as a person of his background should be. The Joker took a step forward. Now he truly towered over Eden as she remained leaning against the wall. All she did was blink; eyes never straying too far from the painted man before her.

Soon, he leant over, extending a gloved hand to the disoriented teen. Eden hesitantly took it, offering him her left hand; which he took. Then, he slowly, almost gently pulled her to her feet. She swayed momentarily, but didn't fall. Eden huffed softly, feeling the ache in her arm beginning to lessen as the night grew colder.

_Silence. Utter silence._

The Joker glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye, noticing her constant fidgeting. It was probably from the cold, awkwardness, or pain; ~~he didn't care~~. His brown eyes took in each of her movements. The tensing  & relaxing of her left hand around her arm, leaning from foot to foot, glancing for mere seconds at him. Now, she incessantly tapped her foot against the pavement.

A car pulled up within the next ten minutes. A man exited from the passenger's side, greeting the Joker with a quiet _'hello boss.'_ The henchman then moved to open the car's back door, waiting patiently for the Joker to slip inside. He did. Then his dark eyes looked to Eden, she cocked her brow at him.

_"Get in."_ He hissed, eyes narrowing significantly.

Eden listened immediately & entered the vehicle. The henchman shut the door, & got back into the car. The driver met the Joker's gaze in the rearview mirror. With a nod of his head, the driver seemed to already know where to go.

The car ride was deathly quiet. Eden blushed embarrassed at the fact her heavy pants from pain & exhaustion were very audible. She concentrated on her breathing, attempting to breathe softer. Eden's eyes flickered outside the window. She took in the buildings, plants, & occasional person as they drove to their destination. ~~Where ever that was.~~

* * *

The car came to a complete stop behind a large, & vacant warehouse. Without a word, everyone exited the car. Eden watched the two men disappear inside, leaving her & the Joker by the car. She turned to the man, unsure if she was to go in, or follow his lead. He glanced once more at her, eyes raking over her person before he huffed & started towards the door. Eden followed.

Within the warehouse was nothing too odd. There were a few tables with chairs, & the chairs were occupied by more bodies. Other than that, the place was completely bare. Eden followed closely to the clown prince, eyes staying low as the other occupants watched her. More henchmen of the Joker's.

The Joker led Eden to a small room & closed the door behind them. Eden took note to the examine table, a few chairs, & a fridge in the farthest corner. An older man with a clipboard sat on a chair closest to the table. His spectacles thick, & rectangular. He lifted his gaze to them, nodding politely to the Joker before focusing on the young, terra cotta skinned girl.

"Awe, you're Eden correct?" He questioned. His voice soft as if not to scare her. The chestnut haired girl nodded, & took a small step forward. "Here, hop up here & I'll take a look at you." He patted the table opposite of him, before moving away to gather his instruments.

Eden stared at the table. How was she to get onto it? There was no step, & she couldn't use her right arm to help push herself up. She moved closer to it, letting her injured arm go, & made an attempt to get on. It didn't work. Eden huffed quietly. Her brown eyes squinted at the table with distain as she tried multiple times to get onto it.

"Jesus Christ." She muttered distasteful, ready to have one more go.

But right as she was readying herself to jump up again, hands stopped her. They rested gently, yet firm, on her waist. Eden tensed at the sudden touch, & peered over her shoulder. Behind her stood the Joker, eyes intent on her as she looked at him confused. He shifted a bit, fingers pressing into her sides more as he lifted her for a brief period, & set her down atop the table.

"Thank you," Eden said gratefully, offering the clown a appreciative smile. The Joker merely nodded & waved off her gratitude, before returning to his place by the door.

"Okay, now, let me see." The doctor said, gesturing to Eden's right shoulder.

She extended it to the best of her ability, wincing when she moved far too fast. Her brown eyes remained trained on the doctor's salt & pepper hair as he inspected her arm. The doctor nodded to himself, & moved back to his chair.

"Good news, it missed your axillary artery... but I assume you already know that considering you would've bled out awhile ago." He said with a tad bit of humor in his voice. "However, you lost quite a bit of blood. We have some blood here if you'd like to have a transfusion, or you could let your body replenish on its own. That will take longer, & you will be weaker for an extended period of time."

Eden shook her head, "I'll let my body do it, you guys probably need that blood a hell of a lot more than I do." She said, chuckling.

The doctor returned her chuckle, "Alright, I will need to remove the bullet, & some fragments. Then stitch it up, you won't be able to use that arm for at least a month, maybe two. You will need rehabilitation as well to get back into the swing of using it." He informed.

"Okay, guess it's good I don't do sports at school then." The teen said, eyeing the needle with anxious eyes.

"Indeed," he said. "Now, I'll begin removing the bullet & the fragments." He said lifting up a pair of long tweezers.

* * *

 It had taken only three hours for the doctor, known as Keith, to; numb the site of the injury, sterlize the area, remove the bullet fragments, clean it once more, & stitch it shut to the best of his abilities.  ~~Which was pretty damn good.~~  Eden had a lengthy conversation with him. From school, to family, to how he got into working for the Joker. All the while the Joker sat in silence. Unmoving, & all seeing. Like a statue.

Eden, with the help of Keith, hopped off the table. She stretched her legs, & worked a kink out of her neck before releasing a soft sigh of relief. She said her thanks to the doctor, & then looked to the quiet clown. He seemed preoccupied, by what, she did not know.

"Well? Now what? What are you gonna do with me?" She asked with much curiousity. Upon hearing her question, Keith excused himself quickly. Leaving the Joker alone with Eden.

"... I don't know..." Joker replied. Once again, he seemed to be talking to himself more than Eden. His eyes gazing over the teen. "I don't know..." His dark eyes flickered down to her.

For the first time during this short period of knowing the Joker, did she feel unsure. Eden was uncertain where she'd end up. She stood there patiently, looking to Keith as he tapped away on his laptop; he glanced at her with a worried expression. She looked back to the clown, finding him in the same position as before. His arms loosely crossed over his chest, & peering down at her.

"Follow me." Joker said simply, gesturing with his head for her to follow. Eden did so without hesitation. She now understood her fate, & that was not dying in this office. The information comforted her oddly enough.

They exited the office. Joker's men eyed Eden as she trailed closely after their boss. Their expressions varied from curious, to indifferent, some even had a look of disdain or disgust. If Joker noticed,  ~~which he probably did~~ , he didn't say a thing. Eden quickened her steps, closing the gap between her & the Joker. She was careful not to overexert herself.

They ventured up a small flight of stairs to the second floor that overlooked the first. The Joker & Eden walked swiftly to the other side of the warehouse. Eden bumped into the painted face male when he abruptly stopped in front of a door. He revealed a key, & made quick work to unlock the door; pushing it open. Eden entered.

The room wasn't too shabby. It had the bare minimum she supposed a person would need. A bedroom, lamp, bathroom, & a fridge. No kitchen. She figured Joker wasn't much of a cooker. However, a face lift for the place wouldn't hurt. Eden side stepped so the Joker could bypass her to small living room.

He shrugged off his purple overcoat, revealing a green vest with a purple dress shirt, it decorated in an appealing pattern, & a dark tie. The Joker flopped himself unceremoniously on the couch, toeing off his shoes. His gaze remained forward. Almost as if he forgot all about the teenage girl he took to his base of operations.

It was eerie to Eden. To see a man categorized as a sociopath, a monster, do something so  _human._ She didn't think someone like him could do something so trivial as take a load off after "work". Then again, it was ignorant of her to be so mystified by his behavior. Granted, he was not the average person, he was still a person.

"... Uh, Joker?" She said questioningly. Eden remained close to the kitchen area, eyes staring holes into the villain.

"Come, sit," Joker said, waving a hand to the empty space besides him.

Eden's eyes narrowed at the command, but she reluctantly did as ask. He hadn't threatened her this whole time, which was courteous; she decided to return it. She carefully made her way to the couch, being mindful of the Joker's shoes as she sat down. The Joker had sat directly in the middle of the couch. His position making it to where Eden was close enough to feel his body heat.

Another silence between them ensued. Only this time it wasn't awkward, it was more comforting if anything.

Eden was grateful for the Joker's more quiet, & ominous personality. It allowed her to collect her thoughts without new information being crammed into her mind. Had he been speaking to her, & telling her how things were going to play out, she'd be more anxious & scared. But, he didn't. She was able to take things in stride instead of worrying about an impending torture, or death.

Her brows furrowed, & her attention returned to the clown prince. He was in the same position as before, legs propped up on the coffee table, & arms splayed over the couch. The presence of the appendage behind her not being ignored.

The Joker finally looked away from the wall, & tilted his head back. Shutting his dark hues as he let out a soft breath, Adams apple bobbing with the motion. He seemed fairly comfortable letting his guard down around Eden; or so it seemed. He didn't move, & neither did the chestnut haired girl.

She studied him closely. His hair was unkempt. Wavy & dyed an unnatural color. It was a dirty, money green color that stopped a bit passed his ears. His roots were growing in, revealing dirty blonde hair. It looked greasy, but that could've been from the lighting, or the color choice.

Her eyes flowed down to his face, looking at the messy, self applied makeup. Multiple areas were flaking off, giving way to soft beige skin with a faint pink undertone. Eden's umber eyes focused on the visible scar that followed an upward curve; a smile. A smile that probably came with a horrid back story. What had this man gone through to become who he was right this second?

Eden continued looking over the ruined, & puckered skin. She itched to touch it. Without much thought, she leaned forward, balancing the best she could with the support of another arm. Carefully, she shifted, trying not to alert the Joker of her movement. She reached out, fingers extending towards the unsuspecting man.

_Gently._ Eden gently brushed her fingers over the raised skin, it was smooth in its own unexplainable way. The Joker didn't stir; was he asleep? She did it again, applying a bit more pressure to really feel it. She was so transfixed on the scar, she hadn't noticed the Joker watching her from the corner of his eye.

_"Who did this to you?"_ The question was deathly quiet, & concerned when it left Eden's lips. The Joker heard it clearly, but chose to ignore it.

It was then Eden realized he was watching her. She blushed & pulled back her hand, but the sudden movement caused her to lose balance. Eden yelped in pain as she fell forward, right shoulder hitting Joker's knee in the process. Even while in pain, Eden profusely apologized as she gripped her arm, teeth clenched & tears daring to fall.

She slowly began to lift herself using her left hand, but was stopped by a hand on the back of her neck. When had he removed his gloves? Eden stilled, feeling her heart hammering in her chest. What was he going to do?

"Turn over." Joker spoke in an oddly soft tone. Eden complied, the new position forced her to lay her head in his lap.

Her umber eyes met his dark brown hues. They stared at one another silently for thirty seconds before Joker looked away. His indifferent eyes looked out the window as the sun began to barely rise in the sky. What time was it? Eden continued to watch him with interest. He wasn't anything like what the news said.

Five minutes passed before either moved again. It was the Joker who moved, he placed his hand in Eden's short & choppy hair. She sighed quietly, eyes sliding shut as he gently, & soothingly caressed her hair. His nails lightly scratching her scalp from time to time. It helped distract her from her throbbing shoulder.

This treatment from the Joker went on for roughly half an hour. Eden had fallen asleep draped across his lap as he stroked her hair. At one interval during her shifting, she moved to rest on her side, & pressed her head more into the clown's abdomen before huffing contently.

The Joker finally looked down at the teen. Dark eyes glancing over her entire being in a swift motion. He examined her as she slept. She was a quiet sleeper with a peaceful look over her relaxed features. Eden would occasionally push into his touch when he scratched the right spot, or press closer to him when a soft breeze rolled through the barely cracked window.

Another half hour passed when the Joker finally decided it was time to start the day. He peeled the teen off him, taking care to not wake her as he did so. Next, he picked her up, & carried her bridal style to his bedroom. The Joker set her down on the bed, & pulled the blanket over her. He cocked his head when she pressed her face into his pillow, & inhaled deeply.

Once certain she wouldn't stir, he pulled on his coat & gloves before exiting the room. Just outside the door stood two of his oldest subordinates. They patiently awaited his orders. His gaze flickered between the two, mildly annoyed by their presence.

"Stay here." He said simply, voice low.

"What about-" one of his men began.

Joker gave him a look that made him fall silent, "Stay here. Guard her..." He said pushing past them. Joker made his way towards the stairs, saying over his shoulder, "Tell her I'll be back soon."

The henchmen looked dumbfounded to one another, but neither said a word. They hadn't understood their boss' intentions, but they didn't want to question him either. Quietly they watched him exit the warehouse from their place on the second floor.

Joker strode out the warehouse, gait predatory as he closed in on his awaiting client. He smiled crookedly at them, causing them to smile back rather nervously. As he neared, Joker paused for a moment, glancing back at the warehouse. A look of uncertainty crossed his features as his brows furrowed, forehead creased, & eyes narrowed.

He uttered but a single thing before continuing forward, _"Eden..."_


End file.
